After much whining, begging, and pleading, Buffy convinced Angel to
walk with her to the docks and back. Of course, he insisted
on a small entourage following them, and then she insisted on that
small entourage following far enough behind that she didn't have to
think about them. He agreed to the compromise, grudgingly.
Once they got outside, Angel slipped his hand into Buffy's. She
smiled over at him, and glanced back at the others. "They
don't have something better to do?" she asked him.
"Well, _someone_ insisted on going out for a walk, so no," Angel
replied, but his smile made it clear he wasn't all _that_ irritated.
"Well _someone_ needs to lighten up a little," Buffy teased. "I'm
tired of being afraid of Johnny, Angel. Hopefully this thing will go to court soon, and I can enjoy myself for real after he's behind bars. Except..." she trailed off.
"Except?" Angel asked.
"Oh, I'm just going to miss living in that apartment," Buffy
shrugged. "I'm just feeling sorry for myself, don't worry about it.
I'm sure I'll find somewhere that I'll like just as much."
"Buffy, nobody's lived in that apartment for several months, not since Jason left. I'm pretty sure that Sonny would be glad to rent it to you, if you asked him," Angel said.
"Really?" Buffy hoped he was right. She loved being near Carly and
her family. For the first time since Jake, she thought she had a
friend in Carly. She was beginning to like Sonny too, he was rough but sweet underneath. He'd reached out to help her without asking anything in return. And Michael was just too adorable to put into words words. Of course, it was an added perk that if she lived near Angel's boss, she'd see Angel much more.
"Really," Angel answered. "And if I tell him I want you there, he'll
definitely let you stay," he added, unknowingly echoing Buffy's
thoughts.
Buffy smiled. She pushed away the voice in the back of her mind that
was trying to remind her that she'd planned to be cautious around
Angel. She knew it was strange how well they got along. It was as if
they'd known each other for years, instead of just less than a month.
She also knew, though, that he wasn't as dangerous as Johnny.
Unlike Johnny, he didn't try to pretend to be something other than
what he was. He answered her willingly anytime she asked about him or
his family. Of course he wouldn't tell her too much about his work. But, unlike Johnny, that was in order to protect her, not because he thought she'd betray him. Yes, he worked for and was a criminal. But he wanted to protect, and not control, the people he cared about.
"Earth to Buffy," Angel drew her back into the present.
She looked over at him and smiled, "Sorry, I was just thinking."
"About?"
"Stuff," she evaded. They reached one of the piers, and she walked
out to the edge looking over the water.
"Stuff, huh? That's not cryptic at all," Angel replied, walking up
behind her, and wrapping his arms around her waist.
Buffy sighed contentedly, leaning back against him. "Some things go through this mind that you don't get to know about," she replied.
"That's fine, as long as you're not worrying about anything," Angel said.
"No, didn't I tell you? I declared this a worry-free day," Buffy replied, looking up at him with a grin.
Angel chuckled. "That sounds like a good idea."
Buffy saw one of Sonny's men approaching from their right, and
sighed. "Well the peaceful moment lasted for all of ten seconds," she said with a frown.
"I gotta find out what's going on, Buffy. I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere," Angel requested and walked over to talk to the man. *Lonny? Ronny?* Buffy couldn't remember his name, and shrugged. She turned to watch the two, they were obviously involved in a heated discussion. Something had made Angel very angry, she could tell from his hand gestures, though both of their faces were turned away.
"Hey!" Buffy yelled as a hand grabbed her arm, and yanked her away
from the pier. She looked up into the furious face of Johnny Rivera,
as he pulled her back against himself. Then she gasped as a gun
barrel was pressed to her head.
***********
End 10
walk with her to the docks and back. Of course, he insisted
on a small entourage following them, and then she insisted on that
small entourage following far enough behind that she didn't have to
think about them. He agreed to the compromise, grudgingly.
Once they got outside, Angel slipped his hand into Buffy's. She
smiled over at him, and glanced back at the others. "They
don't have something better to do?" she asked him.
"Well, _someone_ insisted on going out for a walk, so no," Angel
replied, but his smile made it clear he wasn't all _that_ irritated.
"Well _someone_ needs to lighten up a little," Buffy teased. "I'm
tired of being afraid of Johnny, Angel. Hopefully this thing will go to court soon, and I can enjoy myself for real after he's behind bars. Except..." she trailed off.
"Except?" Angel asked.
"Oh, I'm just going to miss living in that apartment," Buffy
shrugged. "I'm just feeling sorry for myself, don't worry about it.
I'm sure I'll find somewhere that I'll like just as much."
"Buffy, nobody's lived in that apartment for several months, not since Jason left. I'm pretty sure that Sonny would be glad to rent it to you, if you asked him," Angel said.
"Really?" Buffy hoped he was right. She loved being near Carly and
her family. For the first time since Jake, she thought she had a
friend in Carly. She was beginning to like Sonny too, he was rough but sweet underneath. He'd reached out to help her without asking anything in return. And Michael was just too adorable to put into words words. Of course, it was an added perk that if she lived near Angel's boss, she'd see Angel much more.
"Really," Angel answered. "And if I tell him I want you there, he'll
definitely let you stay," he added, unknowingly echoing Buffy's
thoughts.
Buffy smiled. She pushed away the voice in the back of her mind that
was trying to remind her that she'd planned to be cautious around
Angel. She knew it was strange how well they got along. It was as if
they'd known each other for years, instead of just less than a month.
She also knew, though, that he wasn't as dangerous as Johnny.
Unlike Johnny, he didn't try to pretend to be something other than
what he was. He answered her willingly anytime she asked about him or
his family. Of course he wouldn't tell her too much about his work. But, unlike Johnny, that was in order to protect her, not because he thought she'd betray him. Yes, he worked for and was a criminal. But he wanted to protect, and not control, the people he cared about.
"Earth to Buffy," Angel drew her back into the present.
She looked over at him and smiled, "Sorry, I was just thinking."
"About?"
"Stuff," she evaded. They reached one of the piers, and she walked
out to the edge looking over the water.
"Stuff, huh? That's not cryptic at all," Angel replied, walking up
behind her, and wrapping his arms around her waist.
Buffy sighed contentedly, leaning back against him. "Some things go through this mind that you don't get to know about," she replied.
"That's fine, as long as you're not worrying about anything," Angel said.
"No, didn't I tell you? I declared this a worry-free day," Buffy replied, looking up at him with a grin.
Angel chuckled. "That sounds like a good idea."
Buffy saw one of Sonny's men approaching from their right, and
sighed. "Well the peaceful moment lasted for all of ten seconds," she said with a frown.
"I gotta find out what's going on, Buffy. I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere," Angel requested and walked over to talk to the man. *Lonny? Ronny?* Buffy couldn't remember his name, and shrugged. She turned to watch the two, they were obviously involved in a heated discussion. Something had made Angel very angry, she could tell from his hand gestures, though both of their faces were turned away.
"Hey!" Buffy yelled as a hand grabbed her arm, and yanked her away
from the pier. She looked up into the furious face of Johnny Rivera,
as he pulled her back against himself. Then she gasped as a gun
barrel was pressed to her head.
***********
End 10